i've done it before, i'll do it again. i'm mitt romney, and i approve this message. this is "world news." tonight, superstorm. 66 million americans on alert for a giant storm ready to unleash an epic mix of flooding rain, snow and wind. sam champion and the abc news extreme weather team out tonight. pep rally. president obama trying to rekindle the fire with young voters. while governor romney surges among voters like these. attention shoppers. a new wave of thieves hiding stolen goods in a neck brace, a suitcase filled with stolen meat. a brazen diaper heist? making you pay more at the supermarket. and, guess who? ♪ the patriarch of the addams family givings all halloween

advice. our spooky "person of the week." ♪ the addams family good evening. as we head into this weekend together, 66 million americans are bracing for impact. hurricane sandy, lumbering up the east coast and threatening to come ashore as an unprecedented superstorm. it means epic winds, snow, flooding rain from florida to the carolinas, maryland to maine. and the storm is so wide, it could cover two-thirds of the united states. the fierce winds at the center cover an area almost the size of texas. our extreme weather team is in the storm zone tonight and abc's weather editor sam champion starts us off right now from miami. sam? >> reporter: good evening, diane. tonight, sandy is running parallel to the florida coastline, but creating a stir

in places really far north from here. like washington, d.c., states like new york, virginia, maryland, have all declared a state of emergency, ahead of this storm. even the u.s. navy is taking this storm seriously, pulling 21 ships out of the harbor in norfolk, feeling they'll be safer in the open water when this storm comes on shore. where is this storm? you'll see in the track that it is still expected to run up the coastline, going out a little bit, then coming back in and making a sharp left turn on monday, toward the shoreline. spaghetti models indicate we don't know exactly where this storm will make landfall yet. we will pinpoint as we get closer. wherever this storm is going, it's going to make even more headlines. sandy's already killed at least 30 people in its march across the caribbean. seen from space, this storm is monster-sized. clouds stretch 2,000 miles.

tropical storm-force winds extend almost 500 miles. and it will likely get worse before it's over. as sandy marches up the east coast, it will collide with an arctic front coming in from the west, pumping in new energy. inject the 150-mile-per-hour plus winds of the jet stream, and it explodes into a superstorm. spinning off hurricane force wind gusts, up to a foot of rain, possibly record surging tides and even inland snow as far as ohio. extreme conditions could start sunday, peak on tuesday and could last for days, as the >> when you factor in the unshl track that it's going to be taking, that is coming in from the east, across the jersey coast, it's a once in a lifetime storm. >> reporter: it's like combining the destructive power of hurricane irene, which did $14 billion in damage last year, with the punishing nor'easter of 2009 that brought catastrophic flooding. and then, add in a freezing cold winter temperature, all in one storm. >> this storm is going to be destructive, historic and

unfortunately, life-threatening. >> reporter: another fear, the extreme coastal surge that's expected. anywhere from 4 to 10 feet. areas like washington, d.c. are already vulnerable to flooding, and because of the full moon monday, which means higher than normal tides, places like atlantic city could see a swamping ten-foot storm surge. that's possible for new jersey and new york, where evacuation orders may be enforced in coastal areas. even new york city's subways are at risk of flooding. mayor bloomberg says they may be closed as sandy approaches. for more on the damage sandy is already doing, we go up the florida coast to ginger zee. ginger? >> reporter: sam, cocoa beach is one of the widest beaches in florida, but not tonight. it's been cut in half thanks to the breakers coming in. 60-mile-an-hour wind gusts, this all from a storm that's almost 200 miles away. so, if sandy hasn't impressed you enough, check out these hurricane facts. the average hurricane has enough energy to power the world 200

times over. and during its life cycle, it can release as much energy as 10,000 nuclear bombs. it will interact with another trough in the northwest, a system in greenland and inject itself from the mid-atlantic to coastal new england. that's the area we're most concerned about, the area we find our linsey davis in new jersey. >> reporter: that's right, ginger. along the jersey shore, emergency manage officials are banking on sand dunes like this that they just moved into place today as the front line of defense. up and down the east coast, utility companies are out in full force preparing for potentially extensive power outages. states are calling in hundreds of extra workers. there's even concern about entire cities losing power. as for residents, they're getting ready in case they have to spend days or weeks in the dark, stocking up on essentials like flashlights and generators,

which many stores sold out in a matter of hours today. some of the prices that would normally go for $400, we saw them online for sale for $1,400. but generators are not the big concern in coastal areas like this. the big concern here is storm surf. voluntary evacuations are already taking place in areas not far from here. diane? >> our thanks to linsey, ginger and sam. sam will lead our team and track the storm all weekend. and hurricane sandy could throw a curve ball into the final sprint for the white house, as the candidates try to crisscross the country, 11 days before americans go to the polls. your voice, your vote. and a new abc news/"washington post" poll shows it is still a dead heat. governor romney with a one-point edge. tonight, each man trying to secure the most loyal viewers that could carry them over the top. and, for the president, they're young. abc's jake tapper coverers the white house.

>> reporter: president obama has not taken questions from white house reporters since august, but today, he took them from mtv. >> what are you most worried about? malia getting her driver's license, going out on a date or her being on facebook? >> i worry about facebook. dates? that's fine, because she's got secret service protection. >> reporter: in what seems an unprecedented full-on pop culture campaign, the president answered questions from readers of "us weekly" and appears on the cover of "rolling stone," in an interview where he described mitt romney as a bs-er. republicans charge, it all shows how this president is a frivolous celebrity, not a leader. but there he is on "jay leno," at a rally with katy perry, and on jon stewart. >> i am doing great. >> reporter: like the fabled thief who said he robbed banks because that's where the money is, the obama campaign says the

president is going to where the voters are. such as "inside edition." >> really popular show. >> reporter: especially the young voters they need to win. the president focuses on issues like student loans and cothat sepgs. the president, in our latest poll, is winning almost two-thirds of voters under 30, and he needs them to turn out in droves. thus, this from the first lady on "jimmy kimmel" -- >> election day! up and et 'em! >> reporter: actress leno dunham from the hbo series "girls" taped this web video ad about "your first time." >> you want to do it with a great guy. >> reporter: your first time voting, that is. and the randy nature of that web ad illustrates the potential downside to the president that he risk seeming unserious. one other note, diane, because of the pending arrival of hurricane sandy, some events with the presidential campaign have been canceled including one with joe biden in virginia beach and one with michelle obama in new hampshire. we'll keep you posted. diane? >> thank you, jake. could be messy out there. and as president obama, jake said, looks to secure the young

voters, governor romney is ahead by about the same margin in a very different group. and counting on them to show up and vote. abc's david muir tells us who. he's traveling with the governor in ohio tonight. david? >> reporter: hey, diane. great to see you. after the governor visited iowa today, he is back near in the buckeye state. he needs ohio to unlock the map on election night. and in that new abc news poll you speak of, a key group that might help them get there. mitt romney's closing argument in one of the battlegrounds he needs. >> i am counting on iowa. >> reporter: today, delivering his economic message, a message our new poll shows is resonating loudest among one key group -- white men. in fact, so much has been made of the powerful women's vote, but it is men who are driving mitt romney's numbers. romney leads the president with white men 66% to 32%, a 34-point lead. mccain's lead among white men four years ago was half that. >> mitt romney may have a hard time relating to voters, but he

is dialed into white men. they are very much attuned to what he is saying about the economy. >> reporter: in fact, in contrast to the president and that mtv town hall and his visit like the one to "the view," romney sending his wife, ann, instead. his own appearances carefully courting his base. a dozen appearances this year with popular conservative host, sean hannity. and in canton, ohio, tonight, supporters hopeful they can overcome the president's small, but stubborn lead here. the one thing he says that resonates the most? >> jobs. >> reporter: jobs, economy, we hear that so much, diane. with that gender gap among men helping mitt romney, that's why the obama campaign focusing on undecided women who could hold the key now to a second term. diane? high stakes on both sides. >> all right, david, great to have you tonight. and as you said, the presidential race keeps coming back to jobs, and today, a kind of report card for all of us on the nation's economic recovery.

news that the nation's gross domestic product grew at 2% in the third quarter. that's faster than in the second quarter. and fueled by consumer spending and a housing market rumbling back to life. experts say it's a sign that the risk of a second recession is now low. and, we move on next to a story about one devastated american family that has sparked a conversation among thousands of other families today. two young children were murdered, their nanny, accused of the crime. and so, we decided to search out some numbers, nationwide, for perspective on so much pain. abc's dan harris has the answers. >> reporter: the aftermath of what police suspect is an astonishing act of betrayal. last night, dr. marina krim returned home to her uptown manhattan apartment and, according to police, found two of her children stabbed to death in the bathtub. they were 6-year-old lulu and 2-year-old leo, whose lives their mother had chronicled in

her blog. on the floor of the bathroom, the family's nanny, yoselynor teg gave. >> we believe the nanny began to stab herself as the woman entered the room. >> reporter: the hysterical mother an her one surviving child were ushered out of the building with a sheet covering their faces. the nanny is in a coma tonight. police say they see no clear motive. this story is not only sending chills through the upscale new york neighborhoods where nannies essentially become members of the family, but also through the rest of this country, where every day, 7.4 million children are left in the care of somebody other than their parents. the krims had child care options unavailable to many modern american families. nonetheless, so many tonight are anguished on their behalf. look at the statistics. of all the violent crimes against young children, more than half are committed by family, more than 40% by a family acquaintance of stranger, leaving only a tiny slice, just

4.2%, committed by nannies of babysitters. >> every, you know, so many years, there's some tragedy, whether it's in a child care center or with a nanny, and we all go into red alert. but even though, one time too many, it's extreme little rare. >> reporter: that these crimes are rare is of little solace tonight to a family shattered with the prime suspect being somebody they trusted with everything. dan harris, abc news, new york. and now, we have some breaking news tonight. senate majority leader harry reid of nevada was taken to the hospital after a highway crash in his home state. we're told he was not hurt badly, his office said he had contusions on his rib and hip. and doctors have cleared him to leave the hospital. and coming up here, watch this. a new kind of thief making off with ordinary things. shopping carts full of diapers, laundry detergent? and it's costing your family more than $400 a year.

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we've been there. that's why every bit of financial advice we offer is geared specifically to current and former military members and their families. [ laughs ] dad! dad! [ applause ] ♪ [ male announcer ] life brings obstacles. usaa brings advice. call or visit us online. we're ready to help. there's the sign to the bullpen. here he comes. you wouldn't want your doctor doing your job, the pitch! whoa! so why are you doing his? only your doctor can determine if your persistent heartburn is actually something more serious like acid reflux disease. over time, stomach acid can damage the lining of your esophagus. for many, prescription nexium not only provides 24-hour heartburn relief, but can also help heal acid-related erosions in the lining of your esophagus. talk to your doctor about the risk for osteoporosis-related bone fractures and low magnesium levels with long-term use of nexium. possible side effects include headache, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. other serious stomach conditions may still exist.

let your doctor do his job. and you do yours. ask if nexium is right for you. if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. the next time you go to the drugstore or the supermarket, pay attention to the people around you. they are people, forcing the store to lock up diapers, oil of olay? organized gangs are operating and costing every shopper $435 a year and abc's pierre thomas is on the lookout tonight. >> reporter: check out the guy with the neck brace. he shoplifts an item in the blink of an eye. watch again. subtle, but quick. he slipped the item right in his neck brace. near tacoma, washington, a two woman team of thieves target a safeway. they fill their carts with tide detergent and diapers and make a brazen get away. just last week, a shoplifter steals $1,000 worth of organic steaks and lamb chops. there he goes, strolling out of the store with a suitcase packed

with gourmet meat. retail stores may be losing more than $30 billion a year to shoplifting, with an 11% spike in losses from 2012 to 2011. the new trend? organized gangs sending in shoplifters to target scores of stores. they're typically after small, easily concealable, pricey items everyone wants or need. many of the items stolen are personal products. whitening strops like this, which can sell for up to $50 a pack, are popular targets. and surveillance cameras are capturing thieves stealing items up and down the aisles. items that might surprise you. early pregnancy test, baby formula, rogaine, batteries and red bull. and in case you get caught, tylenol extra strength. and the thieves make a fat profit. reselling the stolen items to black market buyers. sometimes at half the price. >> these items are sold at greatly reduced price when you're talking about flea markets and fence operations. >> reporter: you may have noticed your supermarket fighting back, expanding the use

of surveillance cameras and electronic alarm tags. problem is the thieves, just look for the next hot items. pierre thomas, abc news, washington. and coming up, our "instant index." what do hillary clinton and arnold schwarzenegger have in common today? in america today we're running out of a vital resource we need to compete on the global stage. what we need are people prepared for the careers of our new economy. by 2025 we could have 20 million jobs without enough college graduates to fill them. that's why at devry university, we're teaming up with companies like cisco to help make sure everyone's ready with the know how we need for a new tomorrow. [ male announcer ] make sure america's ready. make sure you're ready. at devry.edu/knowhow. ♪

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65. the secretary of state, hillary clinton, celebrated her birthday today. and that long journey from those hippie pants, just after he graduated wellesley college. once the little girl who asked nasa how she could sign up to be an astronaut. rece recently, she said age is good, because it means not caring if the makeup is off, as she represents the united states around the world. and, that other 65-year-old in the news, arnold schwarzenegger announcing today he is coming back in the role that made him a movie star 30 years ago. conan the barbarian. he says his 65-year-old body will hold up, because this conan will be more kingly and mature. and, now, from a pretend daredevil to a real one. we have new video tonight of felix baumgartner as he made that historic jump from the edge of space. watch now. cameras mounted on his space suit captured these pictures, never seen before. the horizon, the earth, spinning

beneath him and, listen -- that's the sound of the wind howling past his helmet. and then, he shouts -- >> rock an roll! >> rock and roll, celebrating the parachute opening up. that's worth celebrating. we really do want to know what you think. so, tell us online at abcnews.com or tweet them to us, #instantindex. and, coming up, remember him? ♪ just in time for halloween, a lesson about family and being scary, from the original gomez addams. and why he's sour special spooky "perwith a vial and syring me, explaining what i was doing at breakfast. and me discovering novolog mix 70/30 flexpen. flexpen is pre-filled with your pre-mix insulin.

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athat's what the plan georgeano allen supports...dicare. would cost our economy. newspapers called it "economically destructive." like allen's votes to give tax breaks to companies... that ship jobs overseas, his economic plan would... help big corporations, devastating the middle class. allen even voted against tax breaks for small businesses. virginia can't afford to go back to george allen. the democratic senatorial campaign committee... is responsible for the content of this advertising. and finally, our "person of the week." halloween, just around the corner. a lesson in family values from one of the strangest father figures in tv. abc's john donvan with an 82-year-old icon. >> reporter: on the show that turned halloween upside down, he was the monster of ceremonies, turning horror into ha-ha. >> half an hour in a bed of

nails and you'll be in as good a shape as i am. >> now i'm worried. >> reporter: with a wink and a snuggle that made weird feel right at home. >> thank you, thing. >> reporter: 46 years later, you'd still recognize him, right? >> nobody else has a head shaped like mine, so, i'm recognized quite often. >> reporter: john aston, now acting teacher at johns hopkins. then, a guy who was, altogether ooky on "the addams family." they were weird and creepy, but that didn't mean they didn't love each other. >> bizarre as we appeared to be, we were the healthiest family on the air. and the amorous relationship between gomez and morticia was one of the more unusual aspects of that. >> reporter: ah, yes, the love story. not something that other sitcom moms and dads ever did. make out.

all the time. >> while we may have seemed foreboding on the outside, we were very, really, underneath, very good, caring people. >> reporter: in fact, aston became good friends with carolyn jones. when she died in 1983, he delivered the eulogy. much of the cast stayed close, although now it's only in re-runs that aston gets to see them. >> most of the adult members on the show have passed away, but it's a great reminder of them. >> reporter: and now, it is teaching, at his alma mater. >> one thing i say to the students is, each one of you has greatness within. don't neglect it. nourish it, feed it, work with it. >> reporter: and how to spook an audience while still getting a laugh. well, that's an art. >> how is your headache? >> a couple more turns out to do it. >> you don't carry out the violence. you just imply it. >> reporter: but hey, it's almost halloween. let's hear the gomez addams version of what really matters. >> in "the addams family," there

was a definite take away of humanity. and of the joy of living. the joy of life. ah, the wonder of the spider. >> and so we choose john aston, who says he didn't see the show as scary, but a celebration of the unusual. so glad you were watchwatching. abcnews.com, of course, will have the latest on the storm. and tonight, a special investigation by cynthia mcfadden on "nightline." david muir will be right here this weekend. hope you have a great one and we will see you here, as always.